Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin explored the idea of ​​biometric proof of personality, a topic that is gaining popularity in the Ethereum community, in a blog post on July 24, 2023. The article “What do I think about biometric proof of personality?” examines the potential benefits and pitfalls of decentralized personality testing solutions.

According to Buterin, the personality test is a type of real-world identification that claims that a certain registered account is run by a real person, preferably without revealing who the real person is. This idea addresses the “unique human problem,” which has become the theme of several initiatives, including Proof of Humanity, BrightID, Idena, and Circles.

One of the most ambitious projects in this space is Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. Worldcoin’s approach to personality testing is unique in that it relies on sophisticated biometrics, scanning each user’s iris using specialized hardware called “the Orb.” The goal is to distribute these orbs globally, making it easy for anyone to get an ID.

Buterin acknowledges the criticism Worldcoin has faced, including privacy and security concerns surrounding the Orb, design issues in its “coin,” and ethical issues surrounding some decisions the company has made. He also discusses broader concerns about whether biometrics is a good idea and the potential risks of personality testing in general, such as privacy leaks, coercion by authoritarian governments, and the challenge of maintaining security while decentralized.

The blog post also explores the importance of personality testing, stating that it is valuable because it solves anti-spam and concentration of power problems, avoids reliance on centralized authorities, and reveals minimal information. Without proof of personality, decentralized governance becomes easier for wealthy actors, including hostile governments, to capture.

Buterin also discusses potential applications of the personality test, including airdrops for token distributions, DAO voting, protection against bot/sybil attacks on social media, and an alternative to captchas to prevent DoS attacks, among others.

Despite the potential benefits, Buterin acknowledges the challenges facing biometric personality testing systems, including privacy concerns, accessibility issues, and centralization risks. He also explains Worldcoin’s solutions to these problems, including his long-term dedication to decentralizationits use of ZK-SNARK and other cryptographic tools to safeguard users’ anonymity, and its ability to audit orbs to ensure they are properly constructed.

In conclusion, Buterin’s article offers a comprehensive examination of the idea of ​​biometric evidence of personality, as well as its potential advantages and disadvantages. It presents a fair point of view, taking into account both the need to address important issues and the potential of these systems to address important problems.

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